Brewers Infielder Could Reportedly Demand ‘Nine-Figure Payday’ This Offseason

Milwaukee will have to spend big to keep their roster together this winter

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The Milwaukee Brewers must capitalize on their historic 2024 season come playoff time, as their roster will prove difficult to keep together in 2025.

Milwaukee’s young talents like Jackson Chourio aren’t going anywhere, but the Brewers will have a pivotal decision to make this winter regarding their shortstop.

Willy Adames will be a free agent and is likely to garner a massive contract on the open market.

Will Milwaukee make it a priority to pay Adames, or will they opt to move on from him and shift rookie Joey Ortiz over to shortstop in 2025 and beyond?

Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter speculated on these questions and more in a report released this week examining each Major League club’s biggest offseason decision.

For Reuter, Adames’s looming free agency is Milwaukee’s largest question mark.

“It was always unlikely that the Brewers were going to sign Corbin Burnes to a lucrative, long-term deal … However, the situation with shortstop Willy Adames is a bit less clear,” Reuter said.

“The 28-year-old has developed into a solidly above-average everyday shortstop … He is hitting .253/.333/.452 for a 116 OPS+ with 28 doubles, 22 home runs, 85 RBI and 2.3 WAR this season.”

“He will be the top shortstop on the market this winter. And with a nine-figure payday likely, he could price himself out of Milwaukee.”

Contenders looking to upgrade at shortstop will undoubtedly be attracted to a player like Adames. It will be fascinating to see how the Brewers handle his free agency, which will be heavily influenced by how far Milwaukee advances in the playoffs this fall.

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